Roll pin compression limiter

ABSTRACT

A compression limiter formed by a roll forming process includes a substantially cylindrical body portion and a plurality of feet. A plurality of notches are stamped along a lower edge of a flat sheet of stock and bent to form the plurality of feet. The flat sheet of stock is then rolled to form the compression limiter. In the preferred embodiment, the compression limiter is formed of a high carbon steel. The plurality of feet of the compression limiter transmit the bolt load of a fastener attaching a plastic intake manifold to a component. In an alternative embodiment, an angled portion attaches each foot to the body of the compression limiter which accommodates for variations in the height of the plastic intake manifold.

This application is a divisional application of Ser. No. 09/788,829filed Feb. 20, 2001.

This application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No.60/215,890 filed Jul. 5, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an improved compressionlimiter utilized to transmit loads in an intake manifold assembly.

In an intake manifold assembly, fasteners are utilized to secure aplastic intake manifold to a component. The bolt load applied to theplastic intake manifold is reduced over time due to a condition known asmaterial creep. Compression limiters are commonly employed to transmitthe bolt load to the component and minimize plastic material creep.

In the prior art, metal compression limiters are inserted into a bore inthe plastic intake manifold which receives the fastener, transmittingthe bolt load to the component. However, the contact surface area of thecompression limiter and the component is relatively small. Therefore,the compression limiters can press into and deform the material of thecomponent over time, reducing the applied bolt load at the location ofcontact.

Hence, there is a need in the art for an improved compression limiterutilized to transmit loads in an intake manifold assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an improved compressionlimiter utilized to transmit loads in an intake manifold assembly.

The compression limiter of the present invention includes asubstantially cylindrical body portion and a plurality of feet. Thecompression limiter is formed by a roll forming process. A plurality ofnotches are stamped along a lower edge of a flat sheet of stock. Thenotches are then bent to form a plurality of feet. The flat sheet ofstock is then rolled to form a substantially cylindrical compressionlimiter. In the preferred embodiment, the compression limiter is formedof a high carbon steel.

Once installed, plurality of feet of the compression limiter bears thebolt load of a fastener which attaches a plastic intake manifold to acomponent. The compression limiter is interference fit within theplastic intake manifold and the plurality of feet are received within afoot bore in the plastic intake manifold and the component. When thefastener is installed, the head of the fastener contacts and bears downagainst the compression limiter, and the plurality of feet contact andtransmit the bolt load to the component.

In an alternative embodiment, an angled portion attaches each foot tothe body of the compression limiter. The angled portion accommodates forvariations in the height of the plastic intake manifold and accounts forthe height variations by reducing the height of the compression limiter.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved compressionlimiter utilized to transmit loads in an intake manifold assembly.

These and other features of the present invention will be bestunderstood from the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings thataccompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:

FIG. 1 illustrates a plastic intake manifold fastened to a component bya plurality of bolts.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross sectional view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the formation of notches on the sheetstock utilized to form the compression limiter of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of the formation of feet on the sheetstock utilized to form the compression limiter of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the sheet stock illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the compression limiter of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of the compression limiter of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a top view of the compression limiter of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 illustrates cross-sectional side view of the compression limiterof the present invention installed in an assembly.

FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the compressionlimiter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates an intake manifold assembly 8 including a plasticintake manifold 10 secured to a component 12, such as an engine, by aplurality of fasteners 14. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a compressionlimiter 16 is commonly utilized on a plastic intake manifold 10 totransmit bolt load to the component 12 in the areas where the fasteners14 are located.

The compression limiter 16 of the present invention is formed of by aroll forming process. In the preferred embodiment, the compressionlimiter 16 is formed of a high carbon steel. As illustrated in FIG. 3, aplurality of notches 18 are stamped along the lower edge 20 of asubstantially flat sheet of stock 22. In the preferred embodiment, thenotches 18 are substantially rectangular in shape.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the notches 18 are bent to form aplurality of feet 24. It is preferred that the notches 18 are bent 90°to the sheet stock 22. Once installed, the plurality of feet 24 transmitthe bolt load of the fastener 14 to the component 12.

The sheet stock 22 is then rolled to form the compression limiter 16 ofthe present invention as illustrated in FIGS. 6-8. The body 30 of thesheet stock 22 is rolled to form the substantially cylindricalcompression limiter 16. When rolled, the side edges 26 of thecompression limiter 16 do not substantially contact, forming a gap 28between the side edges 26. The compression limiter 16 includes a limiterbore 48 of diameter sufficient to receive the fastener 14.

FIG. 9 illustrates the compression limiter 16 installed in the intakemanifold assembly 8. The plastic intake manifold 10 includes a bore 32of sufficient diameter to receive the compression limiter 16. Theplastic intake manifold 10 further includes a foot portion 34 located atthe mating surface 36 of the plastic intake manifold 10 and thecomponent 12 and centrally aligned with the bore 32. The foot portion 34is of larger diameter than the bore 32 and receives the plurality offeet 24 of the compression limiter 16. The compression limiter 16 isinterference fit within the bore 32 of the plastic intake manifold 10.

The component 12 includes a component bore 38 which is substantiallyaligned with the limiter bore 48 of the plastic intake manifold 12. Thecomponent bore 38 is of sufficient diameter to receive the fastener 14.The aligned bores 38 and 48 receive the fastener 14, securing theplastic intake manifold 10 to the component 12. When the fastener 14 isinstalled, the head 40 of the fastener 14 contacts and bears downagainst the upper surface 42 of the compression limiter 16 and the uppersurface 44 of the plastic intake manifold 10. As the fastener 14 appliespressure to the compression limiter 16, the plurality of feet 24 contactthe contact surface 46 of the component 12, transmitting the bolt loadto the component 12.

FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative compression limiter 116. In thisembodiment, an angled portion 150 attaches each foot 124 to the body 130of the compression limiter 116. This embodiment is otherwise formedsimilar to the earlier embodiment. If there is a diameter variationbetween the bore of the plastic intake manifold and the compressionlimiter 116, the angled portion 150 accommodates for variations in theheight of the plastic intake manifold. As the fastener secures theplastic intake manifold to the component, the fastener contacts andpresses downwardly on the upper surface 142 of the compression limiter116. The flexible angled portions 150 account for height variations byreducing the height of the compression limiter 116 as the bolt load isapplied.

There are several advantages to utilizing the compression limiter 16,116 of the present invention. For one, the plurality of feet 24 of thecompression limiter 16 transmit the bolt load of the fastener 14 to thecomponent 12. By employing a plurality of feet 24, the surface area ofthe compression limiter 16 contacting the component 12 is increased.This reduces the likelihood of the compression limiter 16 pressing intoand deforming the material of the component and reducing the bolt loadapplied to the component.

The foregoing description is only exemplary of the principles of theinvention. Many modifications and variations of the present inventionare possible in light of the above teachings. The preferred embodimentsof this invention have been disclosed, however, so that one of ordinaryskill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would comewithin the scope of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understoodthat within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may bepracticed otherwise than as specially described. For that reason thefollowing claims should be studied to determine the true scope andcontent of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A compression limiter comprising: a body portionhaving an outer surface and a generally cylindrical outer peripherydefining an outer diameter, an upper end and a lower end; and aplurality of protrusions extending from said lower end of said bodyportion, and said plurality of protrusions to apply a load to acomponent when a force is applied to said upper end of said bodyportion.
 2. The compression limiter as recited in claim 1 wherein saidcompression limiter is formed of a high carbon steel.
 3. The compressionlimiter as recited in claim 1 wherein said body portion of saidcompression limiter is substantially cylindrical and an inner surface ofsaid body portion forms a limiter bore.
 4. The compression limiter asrecited in claim 1 wherein said outer diameter does not vary.
 5. Acompression limiter comprising: a body portion having an upper end and alower end; a plurality of protrusions extending from said lower end ofsaid body portion to apply a load to a component when a force is appliedto said upper end of said body portion, wherein each of said pluralityof protrusions of said compression limiter further includes an angledportion located between said body portion and each of said plurality offeet.
 6. A compression limiter comprising: a body portion having anouter surface and a generally cylindrical outer periphery defining anouter diameter, an upper end and a lower end; and a plurality ofprotrusions extending 90° from said lower end of said body portion toapply a load to a component when a force is applied to said upper end ofsaid body portion.
 7. A compression limiter comprising: a substantiallycylindrical body portion having an outer surface and a generallycylindrical outer periphery defining an outer diameter, an inner surfacedefining a limiter bore, an upper end and a lower end; a plurality ofprotrusions extending from said lower end of said body portion to applya load to a component when a force is applied to said upper end of saidbody portion; and a fastener inserted within said limiter bore of saidcompression limiter that applies force to said upper end of said bodyportion of said compression limiter.